Intro

Geography teachers encourage students to think critically about the environment and society, and to understand the world around them – from physical landscapes to human cultures and global issues.

Our Secondary Geography PGCE leads to QTS – the professional teaching qualification.

With our Ofsted ‘outstanding’ rating, Brighton offers you the chance to learn from an expert team with practical classroom experience, and to benefit from facilities that are designed to replicate actual school environments.

You’ll develop your knowledge through placements, a residential field trip and contributions from geography experts, organisations and associations. 

You could be eligible for a  if you start this course in 2025.

Find out about postgraduate events

Key facts

Location Brighton: Falmer

Course code F8X1

Full-time 1 year

Qualified Teacher Status is awarded by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA)

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

Degree
Normally an honours degree or equivalent qualification in the subject specialism or a subject that is directly relevant.

GCSE (minimum grade C or grade 4)
At least English language and maths. Equivalence tests are available for suitable candidates.

English language requirements
IELTS 7.0 overall with a minimum of 6.5 in each element. Find out more about the other English qualifications that we accept.

International student application deadline
The deadline for international applicants is late May. This deadline is in place to ensure sufficient time for the visa process to be completed before the course starts in early September. 

Interviews
Interviews for this course can be in-person at the university or online. If we invite you to an interview, you’ll be able to choose a date and which option suits you best.

Experience
While experience in a school is not a condition of entry for initial teacher education courses, we recommend that you take up opportunities to gain a realistic understanding of whether teaching is right for you. The Get Into Teaching offers opportunities across the country to book a day’s worth of experience.

Read the .

Other

  • Applicants from minority ethnic and other groups under-represented in the profession are particularly welcome.

  • All offers of places are subject to a satisfactory health check and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) enhanced check.

  • We are committed to . As part of our selection and interview process, we will undertake additional checks to confirm the suitability of candidates.

Training to teach in England as an international student
If you’re not a UK citizen, with the exception of those training to teach physics or modern languages, you are unlikely to get help funding your training unless you have permission to live permanently in the UK. You can find information about your options on the UK government’s .

Course content

Top reasons to choose this course

  • You will train to teach with an Ofsted ‘outstanding’ provider.
  • 2nd in the UK for education courses – Guardian University Guide 2025.
  • Placement opportunities with schools in large, small, urban and rural settings.
  • Enrichment opportunities to teach ages 16–18.
  • Learn in our specialist classrooms that replicate those used in schools and our curriculum centre with its 30,000 resources for student teachers.
  • Brighton has an expert team who have their own successful experience as education practitioners.
  • Our teaching graduates benefit from excellent employment rates that are consistently above the sector average.
  • We have a dedicated team to help you after you qualify, through our Early Teacher Career support programme.

Plus, our student geography teachers benefit from:

  • contributions from GIS experts, the Royal Meteorological office, The Royal Geographical Society and the Geographical Association
  • a residential field trip at the start of the course
  • opportunities to attend external seminars, conferences and exhibitions
  • access to the OS digital map information system, Digimap.

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Jacob and Annabelle chat about how the PGCE enabled them to become geography teachers.

Course structure

This course offers a number of features that are of enormous benefit to graduates and their continuing professional development. These include: active involvement with fieldwork, both locally and in a residential context; opportunities for involvement with RGS/IBG and GA seminars, conferences and exhibitions; access to the OS digital map information system Digimap through university registration; and the use of iPads in the geography classroom.

Two-thirds of your year will be spent teaching under supervision in schools. Our tutors and mentors will advise and support you throughout each placement. You will receive comprehensive feedback during this time, enabling you to see what you are doing well and where you might need to improve.

The university works in partnership with schools and colleges to provide a high-quality programme of support, ensuring a sound relationship between theory and practice. You will benefit from undertaking two placements in two schools or colleges, with the opportunity to visit additional schools or colleges as part of the peer observation programme.

The school has excellent multimedia training materials, giving you the opportunity to develop your confidence and competence in the use of informati